Zelfportret c. 1920

Bob Hanf made this self-portrait with charcoal, a medium that allows for the building up of tone through rubbing and smudging. Just imagine Hanf there with his stick of charcoal, pressing it into the paper, smudging and squinting and rubbing. The portrait is so interesting. There is his formal suit and bow tie, and the vase behind him, but his gaze is slightly downturned, as if he is worried or shy. Maybe that's why he chose charcoal, which can be easily rubbed out and changed. I’m thinking about other artists, like Käthe Kollwitz, who have used charcoal to express difficult feelings. There’s a tenderness in this self-portrait, but also a sadness. I wonder if other artists looking at Hanf's drawing felt they could keep going, keep trying to use drawing to understand their world. I love the way artists keep the conversation going.